2 → see also half-sister , stepsister
3 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE Sister is a title given to a woman who belongs to a religious community. □ Sister Francesca entered the chapel. □ [+ of ] …the Hospice of the Sisters of Charity at Lourdes.
4 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A sister is a senior female nurse who supervises part of a hospital. [BRIT ] □ Ask to speak to the sister on the ward. □ Sister Middleton followed the coffee trolley.
5 N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] You can describe a woman as your sister if you feel a connection with her, for example because she belongs to the same race, religion, country, or profession. □ Modern woman has been freed from many of the duties that befell her sisters in times past.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use sister to describe something that is of the same type or is connected in some way to another thing you have mentioned. For example, if a company has a sister company, they are connected. □ …the International Monetary Fund and its sister organisation, the World Bank.
sis|ter|hood /s I stə r hʊd/ N‑UNCOUNT Sisterhood is the affection and loyalty that women feel for other women who they have something in common with. □ There was a degree of solidarity and sisterhood among the women.
si ster-in-law (sisters-in-law ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's sister-in-law is the sister of their husband or wife, or the woman who is married to one of their siblings.
sis|ter|ly /s I stə r li/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A woman's sisterly feelings are the feelings of love and loyalty which you expect a sister to show. □ Bernadette gave him a shy, sisterly kiss.
sit ◆◆◆ /s I t/ (sits , sitting , sat )
1 VERB If you are sitting somewhere, for example in a chair, your bottom is resting on the chair and the upper part of your body is upright. □ [V prep/adv] Mother was sitting in her chair in the kitchen. □ [V prep/adv] They sat there in shock and disbelief. □ [V ] They had been sitting watching television. □ [V adj] He was unable to sit still for longer than a few minutes. [Also V ]
2 VERB When you sit somewhere, you lower your body until you are sitting on something. □ [V prep/adv] He set the cases against a wall and sat on them. □ [V ] When you stand, they stand; when you sit, they sit. ● PHRASAL VERB Sit down means the same as sit . □ [V P ] I sat down, stunned. □ [V P prep/adv] Hughes beckoned him to sit down on the sofa.
3 VERB If you sit someone somewhere, you tell them to sit there or put them in a sitting position. □ [V n prep/adv] He used to sit me on his lap. ● PHRASAL VERB To sit someone down somewhere means to sit them there. □ [V n P prep/adv] She helped him out of the water and sat him down on the rock. □ [V n P ] They sat me down and had a serious discussion about sex. [Also V P n (not pron)]
4 VERB If you sit an examination, you do it. [BRIT ] □ [V n] June and July are the traditional months for sitting exams. in AM, use take 5 VERB [no cont] If you sit on a committee or other official group, you are a member of it. □ [V + on ] He was asked to sit on numerous committees.
6 VERB When a parliament, legislature, court, or other official body sits , it officially carries out its work. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] Parliament sits for only 28 weeks out of 52.
7 VERB If a building or object sits in a particular place, it is in that place. [WRITTEN ] □ [V prep/adv] Our new house sat next to a stream. □ [V prep/adv] On the table sat a box decorated with little pearl triangles.
8 → see also sitting
9 PHRASE If you sit tight , you remain in the same place or situation and do not take any action, usually because you are waiting for something to happen. □ Sit tight. I'll be right back.
10 to sit on the fence → see fence
▸ sit around in BRIT, also use sit about PHRASAL VERB If you sit around or sit about , you spend time doing nothing useful or interesting. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P ] Eve isn't the type to sit around doing nothing.
▸ sit back PHRASAL VERB If you sit back while something is happening, you relax and do not become involved in it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P ] They didn't have to do anything except sit back and enjoy life.
▸ sit by PHRASAL VERB If you sit by while something wrong or illegal is happening, you allow it to happen and do not do anything about it. □ [V P ] We can't just sit by and watch you throw your life away.
▸ sit down
1 → see sit 2 , sit 3
2 PHRASAL VERB If you sit down and do something, you spend time and effort doing it in order to try to achieve something. □ [V P ] Have you both sat down and worked out a budget together?
3 → see also sit-down
▸ sit in on PHRASAL VERB If you sit in on a lesson, meeting, or discussion, you are present while it is taking place but do not take part in it. □ [V P P n] Will they permit you to sit in on a few classes?
▸ sit on PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone is sitting on something, you mean that they are delaying dealing with it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] He had been sitting on the document for at least two months.
▸ sit out PHRASAL VERB If you sit something out , you wait for it to finish, without taking any action. □ [V n P ] The only thing I can do is keep quiet and sit this one out. □ [V P n] He can afford to sit out the property slump.